On 15 August 2024, the industry gathered at Chart Hills Golf Course to see the launch of Scarab Sweepers’ brand-new electric compact sweeper, the RAVO E2. FVI editor Ann-Marie Knegt was there to learn more about this innovative new machine, which the City of Paris procured ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
The launch of the RAVO E2 was three years in the making, but it has arrived at the perfect time to revolutionise the electric sweeping sector, believes Simon Stringer, UK Sales Manager for Scarab Sweepers.
Research, development and customer feedback is at the core of the RAVO E2. Simon explains that the design team started with a central concept for an electric sweeper that focuses on three areas and aims to remove anxiety for customers.
- Performance: When buying an electric sweeper, it should be able to do the same job as its diesel equivalent.
- Autonomy: how often does the customer need to charge it? What infrastructure does it need? Is it going to be more challenging to manage?
- Safety: how do you maintain an electric sweeper? What procedures need to be in place to keep this running safely?
- In addition, Scarab required the machine to be suitable for all types of operations. Some organisations run one shift, others double shift, and some sweepers are even on the road 24/7. So, the remaining question was how to deliver an all-in-one electric sweeper.
‘Running a single shift should be easy to achieve with an electric sweeper,’ says Simon. ‘The operator can charge it overnight after each shift. You must rely on DC fast charging and opportunity charging if you run double shifts. A 24/7 operation is a challenge for an entirely electric sweeper.’
The aim was to develop a machine suitable for all three scenarios that matched the performance of its diesel cousin, the R2, while efficiently making the most out of every kilowatt of energy. Scarab also needed to minimise customer anxiety about charging times, expensive DC chargers, and range.
The RAVO E2 is manufactured by Scarab’s sister-company and electric sweeper pioneer, RAVO – which has manufacturing facilities located in both the Netherlands and France, where the E2 is designed and produced by the expert team in Toul, France. For the UK market, RAVO compact sweepers are available exclusively through Scarab and are fully supported by its well-established parts and service teams.
The intention was to engineer this machine in-house without sourcing the electrification to a third party. The company deemed it essential to own both the electrical architecture and software, as this would enable it to evolve with any new battery technology and develop a future-proof sweeper.
‘The E2 delivers exceptional performance and fantastic battery performance thanks to our energy management and installation approach. It is not simply a sweeper that has been converted from its diesel counterparts. We use the phrase “Born Electric” because it has been engineered from the ground up to be electric,’ explains Simon.
The E2 uses electro-hydro architecture to optimise all its energy. It comes with a low-voltage 96-volt architecture with tailored eMotors that are always used within their optimal efficiency range. Six motors independently operate the machine’s functions as required. These are independently cooled, which also saves energy, and because of this configuration, no pump is running constantly to manage the hydraulic system.
In-house software
The team developed in-house software to ensure optimum efficiency. The E2 features an automatic brush and water stop/start system. When the sweeper is at a standstill, for instance, at a red light, the brushes and the water jets stop working. Again, to save energy and water consumption, it features brand new fourth and fifth working modes called Super EcoMode and Silent Mode. This optimises the turbine RPM while enhancing suction performance.
The E2 has been designed with regenerative braking and an automatic fan adjustment feature, which self-adjusts the torque of the fan based on the intensity of the working environment. If the operator leaves the door open, the air conditioning and heating systems switch off, and after three minutes of home command, the E2 will enter sleep mode.
Simon explains that all these features combined contribute to decreased energy consumption during operation, which increases the battery range. ‘This enables us to deliver full-shift autonomy. By preserving energy, the battery needs charging less frequently, and reducing the requirement for DC fast charging improves its health, durability and lifespan.’
The RAVO E2 is fitted with the Econometre in the vehicle’s head display to help the operator track energy consumption. The display also includes instant energy consumption in kilowatts, and remaining charging hours found on the E2 module. This information is also accessible via a telematics system, which comes with every RAVO compact sweeper so that the operator can track the machine’s workflow daily. The onboard telematics system collects 50 signals from the CANbus system as well as location data and delivers updates on the sweeper’s route information.
Simon explains that the battery is at the heart of the electric sweeper. Forsee Power, a leading European manufacturer specialising in battery systems for sustainable electric transport, provides the RAVO E2 battery. This company developed the battery system for Wrightbus’s electric buses. It is a lithium-ion battery pack composed of eight modules.
‘It offers exceptionally high density, volume and weight, enabling it to store a large amount of energy,’ says Simon. ‘There is limited space on a compact sweeper, so this battery system was the perfect choice. It ensures all cells are charged evenly and balanced. This delivers optimal performance while also monitoring the battery’s health and temperature. The battery cells comply with the most demanding automotive regulations for safety and durability.’
The TUV testing certification ECE R100-2 includes vibration testing, thermal shock testing, mechanical shock testing, crash testing, fire resistance, short circuit protection, overload protection, over-discharge protection and high-temperature protection.
Battery swap system
Scarab believes that the E2 battery has the easiest access on the market. The patented battery swap system consists of a special battery removal trolley that moves the battery onto a charging stand and then places another in the sweeper. It enables the operator to swap the battery for another one in under two minutes.
This means the machine can return to the road without requiring a fast charge, maintaining the battery’s health and offering greater shift flexibility. It also provides accessibility for service and maintenance.
The RAVO E2 comes in two battery sizes: a 48-volt version for low usage and a 64-volt version for when longer on-station time is required. The onboard Charger (6 kW) is available with a 380-volt plug and a type-2 plug. This enables the machine to be charged from flat to full in around eight to ten hours and prevents the requirement for DC charging. ‘We can also provide an external charger that enables DC charging,’ says Simon.
The RAVO E2 arrived in the UK this August, but many E2s are already in operation across mainland Europe and the United States. The first order of E2s was to the City of Paris, signifying a commitment to sustainability ahead of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. Since then, Scarab’s sister company and fellow member of the FAYAT Group, RAVO, has delivered machines to France, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and the US.
‘At our high-tech manufacturing facility in France, RAVO Fayat now has a completely integrated production line. As of April 2024, over 50% of the production have been electric sweepers,’ adds Simon.
The E2 has won two Red Dot Design Awards in the Product Design and Product Innovation categories based on the machine’s approach to energy management. The sweeper also won silver in the New York Product Design Awards’ Commercial Vehicle Category.
The RAVO E2 comes with the full support of the RAVO Academy training platform, through which Scarab’s customers can access comprehensive operator and technical training.
The sweeper is currently on a roadshow across the UK and debuted at OWL NI in October in Belfast, and at RWM in September.
